Friday, January 30, 2015

Mocha Rum Brownie Bites

February is nearly upon us! With the season of love coming up, we here at Epic Food Quest have accepted the challenge of making and trying out various treats and meals that you can attempt. Be it for you to remind yourself that you are special or to create for your loved ones, stay tuned for some interesting things that we have lined up for this month.

Do you have a chocolate lover in your life and want to kick it up a notch? Well we may have found a possible goody for you try. This one comes from Booze Cakes: Confections Spiked with Spirits, Wine, and Beer by Krystina Castella and Terry Lee Stone. Illustrated with images of the treats that each recipe is letting you make along with a notification at the top of the recipe which lets you know what type of occasion each one is good for, this is a comprehensive manual for those who enjoy baking.

Mocha Rum Brownie Bites

1 (19.8 ounce) box brownie mix

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup half and half

1/4 cup brewed espresso or strong coffee

1/2 cup dark rum

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan

Combine all brownie ingredients and mix well. Pour into prepared pan and bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let brownies cool completely before cutting into 24 equal pieces.

Top with generous dollops of frosting and raspberries. Arrange on a platter and let everyone dig in, family-style.

Mocha Rum Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

2/3 cup cocoa powder

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 to 2 teaspoons dark rum

Stir to combine butter and cocoa. Beat in confectioners' sugar and milk in three alternating additions, Add milk mixture to the butter and cocoa, along with vanilla and rum, stirring until smooth and creamy. Makes about 3 cups.

~ The Artist ~

This was one of most enjoyable brownie recipes that I've had a chance to play with. The only thing that I changed was choosing to make them in individual little pans so that the brownie came out as a little cake instead and switched the raspberries out for sliced strawberries and blackberries. My brownie mix of choice for this particular project was Ghiradelli Chocolate Supreme Brownie Mix. The mini cakes came out perfectly (save for some cracking on top which I wasn't worried about since they would be filled in by the frosting anyways). Just taking them out of the oven filled the kitchen up with an intense chocolate-floral aroma. Once cooled and decorated, it was time to indulge! The small brownie cake was soft and the frosting just intensified the richness. With the fruit on top, it just seemed to add to the indulgence of the experience.

~ The Gamer ~

When I was told that we were going to be having brownie bites, I wasn't quite expecting them to be turned into what can be best described as mini cakes. It certainly didn't take anything away from the experience though. The outer crust of a bit harder then appearances would have led one to believe, but once past that you get into the nice, soft center that's rich with chocolatey flavour. I believe there's rum in the recipe for the brownie bite itself, but you don't really notice it too much. That is more than made up for through the frosting that covers it. You get this lovely combination of rum and chocolate with neither overpowering the other. Overall it was a wonderful dessert, though one that some may wish to avoid due to how rich it can be. It's definitely worth a try by those that can handle it though.

A self employed artist since 2006, I specialize in watercolors but am not afraid of experimenting with mixed media. An appreciator of good coffee and supporter of the arts, I enjoy sharing my discoveries with others. I used to be a vendor 4 years running at the Sacramento Arts Festival from 2006 to 2009 and have been one of the accepted artists for the KVIE Art Auction from 2008 to 2011.